Deep Thought

 Faborode@70: Salute to Dogged, Principled and Ever-Smiling Mentor By Prof. M. K. Othman I first met Prof. Michael Oladimeji Faborode in September 1999 at the annual conference of the Nigerian Society of Agricultural Engineers (NSAE) at Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, where I served as an academic staff member for over eight years. I left in 1998 to join Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Although I was no longer working in Bauchi, I still had significant influence at the conference, having served as the pioneer local chapter ASUP chairman and the first National Financial Secretary of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) under the leadership of Mallam Hadi Auwal, of blessed memory. At the end of the conference, there was an AGM and elections for new NSAE officers, during which two candidates competed keenly for the National President position: Prof. Faborode and Dr. Yiljeph, of blessed memory. Their campaign almost split the conference attendees into two opposing camps, potenti...

 Re: Northern Security Trust Fund: ₦1bn is a beginning, not the solution By Prof. M. K. Othman   As a citizen with only one nationality, Nigerian, I have accepted the idiom that peace and security are the fundamental pillars upon which other societal developments are built. Security brings peace, harmony, and love, and enables people to be productive, efficient, and effective in their daily lives. Security is expensive; it requires heavy investment in finance, human resources, and infrastructure, but it is still cheaper than insecurity. Insecurity is so expensive that you may be lucky to end up with your life or on a hospital bed. That is why when you are unfortunate to face the arduous task of choosing between your money or your life, you would soon realize you have but only one choice- your life and are ready to surrender any worldly materials. “Your money or your life” criminals are the old-time armed robbers, “beautiful” saints to today’s bandits, whose violent antics have...

 Nigerian Looming and Preventable Flood: Can the Narrative be Changed? By Prof. M. K. Othman   In Nigeria, flooding is the most imminent preventable disaster, occurring annually with dire consequences, including the loss of life and property across several communities nationwide. The statistics over the last five years (2021-2025) are alarming and underscore the urgent need for stronger prevention. In 2021, 27 states were affected, with thousands of hectares of farmland destroyed. In 2022, the worst floods in a decade occurred, destroying 305,400 houses and 569,000 hectares of farmland across 35 states, valued at $6.68 billion, equivalent to N9.352 trillion. In 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics estimated economic losses from flooding in Nigeria at approximately $9 billion, equivalent to N12.6 trillion. A combined analysis of 2024 and 2025 flood losses estimates losses at $9.5 billion (N13 trillion). According to World Bank and NEMA reports, the losses are estimated at $6...